U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,751 discloses a portable crimping tool of the straight action type wherein a crimping die is movable along an axis into crimping engagement with a mating fixed die. In this crimping tool the movable die is carried on a slide member which has a pair of links pivotally attached thereto. A pair of first rollers are attached at respective remote ends of the links, and a pair of second rollers are attached to the tool frame. A linear actuator drives a wedge between the pair of first rollers and urges the first rollers into rolling engagement with the second rollers, thereby linearly moving the slide member and the movable die toward the fixed die. The wedge, the pair of first rollers and the pair of second rollers cooperate to provide a varying mechanical advantage over different portions of movement of the slide member and the movable die.
In this tool the movable die is normally biased open from the fixed die by springs so that a crimped terminal can be easily removed from between the dies after a crimping cycle, and a new terminal inserted. A problem arises in preparing to crimp the new terminal which is initially disposed loosely on a conductor and which must be properly oriented between the dies. It is difficult for an operator to hold the terminal and conductor in their proper orientation between the dies and to simultaneously operate the tool without the terminal and/or conductor shifting or being dislodged from between the dies. There is a need for a mechanism which would alleviate the problem of holding a terminal and conductor in proper orientation between dies prior to crimping. Further, there is a need for a mechanism which would enable the dies to be held selectively open or closed between crimping operations.